Device for securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel

ABSTRACT

A device for securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel by forming a projection on the setting portion of the valve body, in which a rod is mounted in a housing for movement in an axial direction, and a series of spreadable levers concentric with respect to the rod are secured in the housing for swinging movement in longitudinal planes relative the rod. The rod cooperates with the inner surfaces of the working ends of the levers so that during the working stroke of the rod, the lever spread in a radial direction and form a projection on the setting portion of the valve body. The levers are provided with auxiliary arms, and the rod with a projection adapted to cooperate with the auxiliary arms during the reverse stroke to return the levers to the initial position.

United States Patent Solomonov et al.

[ 1 June 13, 1972 [54] DEVICE FOR SECURING A VALVE IN THE NECK OF ANAEROSOL VESSEL [72] Inventors: Nikolai Nikolaevich Solomonov, ulitsaBlaumana, 16/18, kv. l6; Vladlmir Pavlovich lshanin, ulitsa Blaumana, 8,kv. 6; Talvalds-Olavs Arnoldovich Apsalons, ulitsa Dikju, LL, kv. 2, allof Riga, USSR.

[22] Filed: Nov. 24, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 92,404

[51] lnt.Cl ..B65b7/28 [58] Field of Search... .....53/330, 351, 352,353, 88; 1 13/18 R [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,644,4157/1953 Spalding "53/330 X 2,845,761 8/1958 Bagarozy ..53/88 PrimaryExaminer-Travis S. McGehee Attorney-Holman & Stern [5 7] ABSTRACT Adevice for securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel by forminga projection on the setting portion of the valve body, in which a rod ismounted in a housing for movement in an axial direction, and a series ofspreadable levers concentric with respect to the rod are secured in thehousing for swinging movement in longitudinal planes relative the rod.The rod cooperates with the inner surfaces of the working ends of thelevers so that during the working stroke of the rod. the lever spread ina radial direction and form a projection on the setting portion of thevalve body. The levers are provided with auxiliary arms, and the rodwith a projection adapted to cooperate with the auxiliary arms duringthe reverse stroke to return the levers to the initial position.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures II/11011111777100 l/I PATENTEDJUN 1a 1912SHEET 10F 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates tounits designed for filling aerosol vessels, in particular, to devicesfor securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel.

There is known a device designed for securing a valve in the neck of anaerosol vessel (cf., US. Pat. No. 3,234,707, class 53-88), comprising ahousing in the form of a sleeve which accommodates a rod installedtherein with a possibility of movement in an axial direction.

Arranged concentrically with respect to the rod is a series of leversinstalled in the housing with a possibility of swinging in planesextending longitudinally relative the rod. The working ends of thelevers interact with the tapered end of the rod with their insidesurfaces so that during the working stroke of the rod, the levers spreadto form, with their ends, projections on the setting portion of thevalve body. The levers are enveloped from the outside with a resilientelement which tends to return the levers to the initial position.

On the housing and rod are provided flanges between which is placed aspring serving to maintain the rod in a position in which it extendsoutside of the working ends of the levers. Outside the housing andcoaxially with respect to the housing is mounted a sleeve capable ofmoving along side the housing and being spring-biased relative thelatter with the aid of a spring placed between flanges provided on thehousing and sleeve. The sleeve is equipped with a catch for ensuring aproper positioning of an aerosol vessel with a valve inserted thereinrelative the levers. The rod in such known device is hollow and providedwith a valve and an injection needle, which are adapted to ensure thefilling of the aerosol vessel with a propellent following the securingof the aerosol vessel valve.

For securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel, the rod isshifted in an axial direction towards a support mounting the aerosolvessel with the valve to be secured in the vessel neck inserted therein.Shifted simultaneously with the rod in the same direction are thehousing and the sleeve. When the catch moves onto the neck of thevessel, the sleeve displacement is discontinued while the rod movestogether with the housing, thus compressing the spring between theflanges provided on the housing and sleeve. The housing ceases to movewhen its face end is thrust against the face end of the catch. Thishelps ensure a proper positioning of the working ends of the leversrelative the setting flange of the valve body. Further, only the rodmoves to spread, with its tapered end, the working ends of the levers.When so doing, the levers form a projection in the valve body, and thevalve is secured. The injection needle acts to open the valve of theaerosol vessel and the valve built in the rod, to effect the filling ofthe aerosol vessel with a propellent by means of a separate device notdescribed herein. Following the supply of the required amount ofpropellent to the vessel, the rod is moved in the opposite direction.The tapered end of the rod is the first to leave the working ends of thelevers which are urged by the resilient element towards the center andmove out of engagement with the setting flange of the valve body.Concurrently, the aerosol 'vessel valve and the valve built in the rodare closed. This is followed by a joint displacement of the rod and thehousing relative the sleeve and, finally, by the sleeve displacementuntil the device assumes the initial position.

However, in the known device, the resilient element enveloping theworking ends of the levers does not fully ensure the return of thelatter levers to the initial position, and there occurs a sticking ofthe projections of the working ends of the levers in places ofdeformation of the valve body.

The afore-mentioned disadvantage cannot be eliminated by merelyincreasing the degree of resilience of the element enveloping theworking ends of the levers, for, when securing the valve in the neck ofthe aerosol vessel, considerable forces of pressing emerge between thetapered end of the rod and the inside surface of the working ends of thelevers, which cause great forces of friction at the moment of pullingthe tapered end of the rod from the working ends of the levers. Suchforces tend to increase with an increase in the forces of resilience ofthe element enveloping the working ends of the levers. As a result ofthis interaction of forces, the spring between the flanges of the rodand housing does not ensure the reliability of pulling the tapered endof the rod from the working ends of the levers. In view of the above,the aerosol vessel remains engaged with the working ends of the levers,which affects the operating duty of the device. Such violations of theoperating duty are intolerable, especially so in case the device isbuilt in units designed for the automatic filling of aerosol containers.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for scour ing a valvein the neck of an aerosol vessel which ensures a reliable disengagementof the working ends of the levers from the aerosol vessel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the above and other objects,the present invention consists in that in a device for securing a valvein the neck of an aerosol vessel by forming a projection on the settingportion of the valve body, according to the invention, each of thespreadable levers is provided with an auxiliary arm, while the rod isprovided with a projection adapted to interact with the arm for ensuringthe reverse stroke of the rod to return the levers to the initialposition.

For a better understanding of the present invention. presentedhereinbelow is a detailed description of possible embodiments thereof,with reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a devicefor securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel, according to thepresent invention, in the initial position; and

FIG. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of theworking portion of the device for securing a valve, in thevalve-securing position, the view being on an enlarged scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, thedevice for securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel has atwo-way action pneumatic drive including a pneumatic cylinder 1 (FIG. 1a piston 2, an upper cover 3 provided with a connecting pipe 4, and alower cover 5 with a connecting pipe 6. The upper cover 3 and the lowercover 5 are attached to the pneumatic cylinder 1 by means of captivenuts 7 and 8 respectively. The lower cover 5 has a centrally disposedstepped opening which accommodates the working portion of the device forsecuring a valve. The working portion of the device for securing a valvecomprises-a hollow rod 9 rigidly secured in the piston 2, a housing 10accommodating spreadable levers 11, a spring 12, a nut 13 and a lock 14arranged on a pivot 15 (FIG. 2). Telescopically mounted on the outersurface of the housing 10 (FIG. I) is a catch 16 biased by a spring 17.The housing 10 has an axially extending stepped opening whose upperportion accommodates a flange 18 of the rod 9 and one end of the spring12 bears against the flange. The other end of the spring 12 restsagainst a shoulder 19 of the housing 10. The housing 10 is fixed in itslower position on the rod 9 by the nut 13. The levers 11 are set withtheir grooves on an inwardly directed flange 20 of the housing 10 andthe levers 11 are capable of swinging in planes extending in alongitudinal direction relative the rod 9. Working ends 21 of the levers11, during the valve-securing operation, interact with the rod 9 withtheir inner surfaces 22. The levers 11 are provided with auxiliary arms23 located above their grooves and the arms 23 are adapted to interactwith a projection 24 on the rod 9 during the return of the rod to theinitial position. The rod 9 is also provided with a projection 25 spacedaxially of the projection 24 for control over the lock 14.

The rate of travel of the rod is adjusted by nuts 26 so that the degreeof spreading of the levers 11 is increased or decreased, that is, thedepth of recesses of a valve 28 of an aerosol vessel 29.

Inside the hollow rod 9 is arranged a valve 31 biased by a spring 30 andresting on a seat 32, and an injection needle 33. The injection needle33 is packed with a sealing ring 34 placed in a mandrel 35 provided witha washer 36.

The injection needle 33 has grooves 37 and a centrally extending opening38 which terminates in radially extending openings 39. The lower end ofthe injection needle 33 features a flange 40 serving to limit the degreeof the needle penetration into the opening of the valve 28 of theaerosol vessel 29. For more convenience in assembly, the end of the rodis made detachable.

For a fuller understanding of the principle of the device operation, itshould be noted that for mounting the aerosol vessel 29 when securingthe valve 28 and filling the vessel with a propellent, use is made ofasupport 42 biased by a spring 41 (FIG. 1), while the upper end of therod 9 is fitted with a connecting pipe 43 adapted for the supply ofpropellent from a metering pump.

The present device for securing a valve operates in the followingmanner:

The aerosol vessel 29 with the valve 28 inserted therein is mounted onthe support 42, whereupon compressed air is supplied to the upper spaceof the pneumatic drive via the connecting pipe 4. The piston 2 togetherwith the working portion of the device for securing a valve moves in adirection towards the support 42. The catch 16 serves to place theaerosol vessel 29 with the valve 28 under the levers 11. The movement ofthe whole working portion of the device continues until the housing isset with its face end 45 onto a projection or ledge 46 of the lowercover 5, and the catch 16 compressing the spring 17 is thrust againstthe face end 45 of the housing 10.

Variations in the height of the vessel 29 are compensated for by thespring 41. The force of the spring 41 determines the degree ofcompression of a packing spacer 47 (FIG. 2) between the body of thevalve 28 and the neck of the vessel 29. Further, the rod 9 moves on thuscompressing the spring 12, and the auxiliary arms 23 of the levers 11leave the projection 24 on the rod 9, while their working ends 21 arespread apart by the rod 9 and form projections on a setting flange 27(FIG. 2) of the body of the valve 28. At the same time, the projection25 of the rod 9 moves the nose portion of the lock 14 into engagementwith a groove 48 provided in the lower cover 5, whereby the housing 10is rendered immovable with respect to the cover 5.

The injection needle 33 moves concurrently with the rod 9 and, havingovercome the force of the spring of the valve 28, opens the latter toprepare it for being filled with a propellent. The moment the flange 40of the injection needle 33 contacts the plane of the body of the valve28, the movement of the injection needle 33 is discontinued, and thevalve 31 starts to rise. Propellent is supplied from the metering pumpvia the hollow rod 9, between the ribs of the valve 31, and through thegrooves 37, central opening 38 and radial openings 39 of the injectionneedle 33 into the vessel 29. After the vessel 29 is filled with therequired amount of propellent, the supply of compressed air to upperspace 44 (FIG. 1) of the pneumatic drive is discontinued, with suchspace being connected to the atmosphere, and there commences the supplyof compressed air to a lower space 49 of the pneumatic drive. When sodoing, the piston 2 and the rod 9 start moving in a direction away fromthe vessel 29. The housing 10 with the levers 11 remains immovable untilthe nose portion of the lock 14 is disengaged from the groove 48 of thecover 5 and the rod 9 is thrust with its flange 18 against the nut 13.

Simultaneously, the projection 24 moves the auxiliary arms 23 of thelevers 11 thus causing them to swing inwardly and, thereby disengagetheir working ends 21 from the vessel 29, while the valve 31 (FIG. 2)and the injection needle 33 assume the initial osition.

On furt er displacement of the rod 9, all of the pans of the devicereturn to the initial position.

The foregoing description discloses an embodiment of the deviceaccording to the invention employing an actuating mechanism built in thelower cover of the pneumatic drive, as providing for the most efficientoperation. The present invention, however, is not to be limited by theembodiment described, as there being is a possibility of employing otherembodiments of the device capable ofa successful solution of thetechnical problem of the invention. Various such devices can beemployed, for example, a device incorporating a separately mountedpneumatic drive or a drive of another type; a device incorporating animmovable actuating mechanism with a movable support for mounting anaerosol vessel, as well as other embodiments designed to comply withparticular requirements when producing aerosol units, for instance, adevice which only provides for securing the valve without filling thevessel with propellent.

The present device for securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vesselfeatures a number of structural advantages over the prior art devices.

The structural embodiments of the device consist in that the successiveoperations of the elements of the device when returning to the initialposition do not depend upon the force of the spring resilience but isstrictly defined by the very design of the device, and cannot be variedby the sticking of the working ends of the levers in the valve body orby an increase in the forces of pressing of the working ends of the rodlevers.

Building the proposed device in automatic units or automatic productionlines for manufacturing aerosol containers helps increase thereliability of their operation and, consequently, their efficiency.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel byforming a projection on a setting portion of the valve body, comprising:a housing; a rod mounted in said housing for movement in an axialdirection; spreadable levers secured in said housing for swingingmovement in planes extending in longitudinal directions relative therod, said levers being arranged in a series concentric with said rod;said levers having working ends adapted to interact with said rod sothat during the working stroke of the rod, said levers spread in adirection radial with respect to the rod, with this spreading of thelevers serving to cause the working ends thereof form a projection onthe setting portion of the valve body; auxiliary arms for said levers;and a projection of said rod adapted to interact with said auxiliaryarms of the levers during the reverse stroke of said rod to return saidlevers to the initial position.

1. A device for securing a valve in the neck of an aerosol vessel byforming a projection on a setting portion of the valve body, comprising:a housing; a rod mounted in said housing for movement in an axialdirection; spreadable levers secured in said housing for swingingmovement in planes extending in longitudinal directions relative therod, said levers being arranged in a series concentric with said rod;said levers having working ends adapted to interact with said rod sothat during the working stroke of the rod, said levers spread in adirection radial with respect to the rod, with this spreading of thelevers serving to cause the working ends thereof form a projection onthe setting portion of the valve body; auxiliary arms for said levers;and a projection of said rod adapted to interact with said auxiliaryarms of the levers during the reverse stroke of said rod to return saidlevers to the initial position.